Even Barbed Needles Can Make the Softest Things

I made a new creation over the past couple of days. It started with a desire to sculpt out my little cat character, Bethezda. She's cute, but also a bit grumpy at times. I couldn't decide what materials I wanted to make her from, paperclay...maybe, polymer clay...not quite, PMC silver clay...tempting! Anyway, I've been wanting to try out needle felting for a while now and was feeling a bit crafty so I gave it a whirl.

If your unfamiliar with needle felting it basically involves repetitively stabbing at a soft little tuft of wool roving until you tangled all of the fibers together get a desired shape. Warning: if you go too fast you will stab your finger. It's not so much the punching of the needle into your finger that hurts, but the pulling it out! It's a barbed needle with several tiny little razor ridges. Ouch! Did it twice, don't plan on doing it again.

Here are the final results. Cute little Bethezda, with a little satin stitched embroidered heart, wearing her finest party hat (that I made of paper, ribbon, and another tuft of wool), sits atop a little treasure box (that I painted, distressed, and sealed with acrylics). Of course a little treasure of some miniature sized prints (embossed corners, rivets, and bit of ribbon) of Bethezda tuck neatly inside the box!

She was quite fun to make. I think I'll make another!